deutscheben Posted May 6, 2020 Author Share Posted May 6, 2020 This latest find fits well with the Chowder theme- a smooth-shelled bivalve of unknown identity. This one was preserved relatively uncrushed, and unusual for Mazon Creek fossils, the entire shell popped out separate from the part and counterpart of the concretion. You can see both valves and details of mineralization on the shell, but it does not exactly match anything I have seen in the guidebooks. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscheben Posted May 26, 2020 Author Share Posted May 26, 2020 As my Chowder Flats concretions have dwindled down to a single small container, I have not had anything noteworthy, or even recognizable split in a little while. One of the last few things was this blobby worm of some sort- I don't know that it is well-preserved enough to ID, though. I have also started to freeze and thaw my finds from Pit 11, collected on March 1st and 2nd this year. So far after about 10 cycles, it has been kind of disappointing- one poorly preserved little shrimp, one faint worm of some kind, a half dozen Essexella, all of which were coarsely preserved, and a shrimp molt. The shrimp molt I'm actually quite happy with, though, I think it is my best one yet. The yellowish color is interesting too. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscheben Posted June 8, 2020 Author Share Posted June 8, 2020 I have been able to cycle rapidly through my Pit 11 concretions and am now down to the last dozen or so unopened ones. The only recognizable finds have been an extremely faint bivalve of some sort, another handful of Essexella, and this beauty: I think it is Fossundecima konecniorum, a polychaete worm. This is by far my best specimen of the species, with clearly preserved jaws and bristles visible under magnification. I couldn't get a picture of the bristles with my current set-up, but here are the jaws through my loupe: Although I can't show it, this fossil truly exemplifies the incredible level of soft-tissue preservation present in Mazon Creek fossils. It is a common worm, but I am very happy to have found another worthwhile fossil from this trip. And there are still a few decent-looking concretions left to split, so who knows what else I might find? I did also want to share the best Essexella specimen to split from this batch as well. Interestingly, almost all of the Essexella I have split are very similar- poorly detailed, and colored grey and red on the inside. Since I know I collected most of them from one location in the park, they appear to be an example of fossils that all came from the same lense in the shale originally. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscheben Posted November 18, 2021 Author Share Posted November 18, 2021 After an extended break, I am back with another worm! This little beast is my first example of the polychaete Astreptoscolex anasillosus. This year I was able to collect once each from the Mazon River and from the Chowder Flats site, so hopefully I will have more to share as I process the concretions through the winter. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigred97 Posted November 18, 2021 Share Posted November 18, 2021 Really nice! Thanks for sharing! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscheben Posted December 12, 2021 Author Share Posted December 12, 2021 Nothing spectacular to add, but I did have another Aviculopecten split from my Chowder Flats concretions, with some mineral replacement of the shell. I have also had a few fairly nondescript plants open from the Mazon River so far- I believe this one may be some sort of Neuropteris? 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kmiecik Posted December 12, 2021 Share Posted December 12, 2021 Looks like Neuropteris ovata. Nice specimen. A blind man can count those veins! 1 Mark. Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscheben Posted December 30, 2021 Author Share Posted December 30, 2021 In addition to a few nondescript Essexella and two faint worms that don't look like much in photographs, I have had the following split from my Chowder Flats concretions recently: First, this partially exposed Coprinoscolex. The diagnostic gut pellets are visible in the close-up. I may try to run it through a few more freeze-thaw cycles and see if I can get it to split the rest of the way. Next is the sea cucumber Achistrum. This one is incomplete and poorly preserved, but as above diagnostic details are present, in this case the tiny j-shaped sclerites. This little Neuropteris pinnule has a nice splash of color. Finally, to wrap things up in true Chowder Flats style, here is a quite lovely Mazonomya bivalve. It’s one of the most common species from this site, but this is my best example from here and the first one I’ve found with this maroon color. I’ve been processing my Mazon River concretions as well and have mostly been coming up blank, with only a few very scrappy plant finds. 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigred97 Posted December 30, 2021 Share Posted December 30, 2021 Wow that Mazonomya is really special! Just gorgeous. And a nice variety of different species. Congrats and thanks for sharing! Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stats Posted December 30, 2021 Share Posted December 30, 2021 On 5/5/2020 at 11:29 PM, deutscheben said: This latest find fits well with the Chowder theme- a smooth-shelled bivalve of unknown identity. This one was preserved relatively uncrushed, and unusual for Mazon Creek fossils, the entire shell popped out separate from the part and counterpart of the concretion. You can see both valves and details of mineralization on the shell, but it does not exactly match anything I have seen in the guidebooks. Brachiopod? Cheers, Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscheben Posted December 31, 2021 Author Share Posted December 31, 2021 22 hours ago, stats said: Brachiopod? Cheers, Rich That is a possibility too, although the references indicate articulate brachiopods are extremely rare from Mazon Creek. The symmetry seems to match a bivalve more than a brachiopod as well. It’s definitely an interesting specimen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscheben Posted December 31, 2021 Author Share Posted December 31, 2021 Just this morning I had a very exciting find from my Mazon River concretions. I am fairly certain that this specimen is some kind of fish. Unfortunately, It doesn’t quite match up with any of the species in the guide books, so I would love to hear opinions from others. Here are an overview of both sides, one side wet, and then a close-up of what I believe is the head, both dry and wet. On the head end, I am seeing a dark spot that could be an eye, as well as some kind of solid structure below it. The texture, color and mineralization are similar to a shark egg capsule I found, which makes me think it is vertebrate material. My first guess would have been Esconichthys but those are only found in the Essex Biota. It could be an acanthodian, although it does not have the diagnostic spines that I can see. Other than that, I really don’t know! I have found a scale, egg capsule and cartilage from Mazon Creek, but this would be my first complete? fish from the deposit, so a really cool way to end the year (if true!). Please let me know if you think it’s something else though. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigred97 Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 Don't take my word for it, but it sure looks like a fish to me! Hoping someone else can confirm. Acanthodes sp. maybe? Or Mayomyzon pieckoensis? Very cool! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connorp Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 Weird find. No idea. @RCFossils @jdp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCFossils Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 Not sure on this one. it is quite interesting but I cannot see anything definitive that would identify it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscheben Posted January 2, 2022 Author Share Posted January 2, 2022 Thanks for looking, @bigred97, @connorp and @RCFossils! It’s definitely an odd and interesting one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connorp Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 1 hour ago, deutscheben said: Thanks for looking, @bigred97, @connorp and @RCFossils! It’s definitely an odd and interesting one. If you don't get an ID, you should bring it to the next ESCONI trip you can make. I'd be interested to look at it in person. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCFossils Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 4 hours ago, connorp said: If you don't get an ID, you should bring it to the next ESCONI trip you can make. I'd be interested to look at it in person. Yes, viewing it in person might help. I am leaning towards this being a shark egg case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscheben Posted January 2, 2022 Author Share Posted January 2, 2022 @connorp I can definitely bring it on the next trip. @RCFossils, that was something I was considering too. Were you thinking a very partial one (like just the pedicle end), or a perhaps a small one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdp Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 On 12/31/2021 at 9:10 PM, deutscheben said: Just this morning I had a very exciting find from my Mazon River concretions. I am fairly certain that this specimen is some kind of fish. Unfortunately, It doesn’t quite match up with any of the species in the guide books, so I would love to hear opinions from others. Here are an overview of both sides, one side wet, and then a close-up of what I believe is the head, both dry and wet. On the head end, I am seeing a dark spot that could be an eye, as well as some kind of solid structure below it. The texture, color and mineralization are similar to a shark egg capsule I found, which makes me think it is vertebrate material. My first guess would have been Esconichthys but those are only found in the Essex Biota. It could be an acanthodian, although it does not have the diagnostic spines that I can see. Other than that, I really don’t know! I have found a scale, egg capsule and cartilage from Mazon Creek, but this would be my first complete? fish from the deposit, so a really cool way to end the year (if true!). Please let me know if you think it’s something else though. This might be tetrapod. I'd like to see this in person. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdp Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 I'll be in Chicago as of the first week of February, and I'm sure I can find some time to meet up shortly thereafter. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscheben Posted January 2, 2022 Author Share Posted January 2, 2022 2 hours ago, jdp said: I'll be in Chicago as of the first week of February, and I'm sure I can find some time to meet up shortly thereafter. 2 hours ago, jdp said: This might be tetrapod. I'd like to see this in person. Oh, that is an exciting possibility to hear! I would be happy to bring it up in the next couple of months, I will be in touch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stats Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 On 12/31/2021 at 2:10 PM, deutscheben said: I have found a scale, egg capsule and cartilage from Mazon Creek, but this would be my first complete? fish from the deposit, so a really cool way to end the year (if true!). Please let me know if you think it’s something else though. Possibly a shark egg case? Not much detail there... may be able to say more in person. Cheers, Rich 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdp Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 38 minutes ago, stats said: Possibly a shark egg case? Not much detail there... may be able to say more in person. Cheers, Rich Definitely not. I can see caudal segments and a pelvic girdle, and Ben is correct that there are preserved retinal pigments. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigred97 Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 Wow, I was excited that it might be a fish! But a tetrapod? Wow I sure hope it is. What a way that would be to finish 2021! Please keep us posted. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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